1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to ammunition containers and more particularly to portable ammunition containers which may be selectively carried by an individual such as on a belt so that separate rounds of ammunition are readily available when necessary for use. The ammunition container of the present invention includes a retractable lid which is slidably received within the container and also includes a plurality of spaced resilient foam round support pads which are contoured so as to receive the bullet ends of rounds of ammunition to thereby cradle and frictionally retain the rounds therein and which prevent the rounds from being adversely impacted against the walls of the container when the container is in use. Each of the foam support pads also functions to lift the rounds of ammunition supported thereby outwardly or upwardly with respect to the container as the lid of the container is moved past an overlying relationship with respect to a given support pad. In this manner, the rounds of ammunition stored within the container may be progressively elevated so that the individual may easily grasp the end of each round of ammunition and remove the round from the container
To further stabilize the rounds of ammunition within the container, a plastic lift plate is positioned over each of the support pads. The lift plates engage the shoulder of the rounds of ammunition with the bullet end of each round passing through openings in the lift plate.
The ammunition container of the present invention has been specifically designed so as to promote the safe and secure storage of rounds of ammunition which are carried by an individual and yet provide for the fast and efficient dispensing of rounds of ammunition so that the individual may readily obtain ammunition as is necessary by simply opening the lid to the container and grasping the automatically elevated rounds of ammunition.
In addition to the foregoing, the resilient support pads will accommodate and frictionally engage various sizes of rounds both in length and diameter so that a single ammunition container may be utilized to support a plurality of standard rounds of ammunition without requiring modification or adjustment to the ammunition container.
2. History of the Related Art
There has consistently been a need to provide storage for additional rounds of ammunition that may be utilized by individuals such as hunters and sports persons so that the ammunition will be readily available when necessary. The most traditional ammunition storage containers were in the form of ammunition belts which could be worn around an individual's torso Such belts contained a plurality of spaced round engaging loops through which separate rounds of ammunition could be selectively placed so that the rounds could be withdrawn when necessary. Unfortunately, the use of such belts not only is often awkward but unsafe Belts generally are designed to support a given size of ammunition and therefore different sizes of rounds of ammunition could not be accommodated for in one belt. Also, ammunition belts also have the disadvantage of being unsafe, not only to the person wearing the belt but to other individuals. It is easy for a round of ammunition to become accidentally dislodged from an ammunition belt and be dropped where it could be picked up by someone who should not have access to a live round of ammunition. Also, it is often awkward to remove a round of ammunition from an ammunition belt as the loops associated with such belts may bind against the rounds of ammunition as they are pulled from the belt.
In an effort to promote the safe storage of ammunition, there have been numerous attempts to design and construct ammunition containers which are portable so that the containers may be carried by an individual in the field. Many of the earlier types of ammunition containers were specifically designed to support military use.
Some types of portable ammunition containers provide a plurality of support chambers in which separate rounds of ammunition may be selectively received. Unfortunately, such containers are normally designed to accommodate only a specific size of ammunition and therefore different sizes cannot be accommodated in a single ammunition container. Further, the loose manner in which rounds of ammunition could be placed in such conventional portable ammunition containers would allow rounds of ammunition to move within the support chambers thereby creating potentially unsafe situations and also created distracting and undesirable noise. A further disadvantage of such conventional containers is that in order to remove a round of ammunition from the container, it was frequently necessary to insert one's fingers into the round supporting chambers in an attempt to withdraw a round of ammunition from the container Such manipulation is awkward, often requiring that the ammunition container itself be slightly inverted so as to dislodge or partially dislodge a round of ammunition from one of the support chambers.
In an effort to increase the efficiency in dispensing of rounds of ammunition from ammunition containers of the portable type, some dispensers were designed with ejector mechanisms which could be utilized to selectively eject a round of ammunition from the dispenser as the round is required for use. Unfortunately, many such ejectors require complicated mechanical structures which can become damaged or inoperable after a short period of field use. In addition, some ejectors require extra manipulation to operate the ejector mechanism and therefore not only require an opening of the lid to the ammunition container but then require an operation of the ejector mechanism to obtain a round of ammunition.
An early improvement was made to automatically elevate the rounds of ammunition from a container upon the opening of the container. In U.S. Pat. No. 71,633 to Newcomb & Lyon an ammunition container is disclosed which includes a housing having a plurality of round receiving cells separately defined therein In each of the cells there is provided a spring or other resilient member at the base of the cell which engages the bullet end of a round of ammunition so that the round is resiliently urged towards the opening of the container when the lid of the container is open. Although this structure does provide for the partial elevation of the rounds of ammunition upon the opening of the container, the structure elevates all the ammunition supported therein as the lid is opened and does not provide for a safe and secure retention of the rounds of ammunition when the container lid is either opened or closed. Thus, ammunition can be accidentally displaced after it has been elevated with respect to the opening in the container. Also, due to the structure, any pressure placed on a round of ammunition is placed directly on the tip of the bullet end of the ammunition with the oppositely directed force being placed on the shell end of the round by the lid of the container. In this situation, not only is force being applied to the tip of the bullet but the ammunition is not restrained from shifting within the cells thereby allowing the ammunition to rub against the side walls of each cell. A further disadvantage of the structure is that rounds of different diameter and length are not adequately provided for so that varying sizes of conventional rounds of ammunition cannot be securely supported within a single container.
In view of the foregoing, prior art portable ammunition containers have not provided for both the safe and efficient storage and dispensing of separate rounds of ammunition. Some examples of prior art ammunition and other dispensing containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 368,579, 1,085,075, 1,671,285, 2,226,308, 2,499,652, 3,263,806, and 4,180,192,